Michael DeMocker/The Times-Picayune archiveLSU receiver Russell Shepard says the Tigers are unfazed by their No. 21 ranking in the Associated Press preseason poll. 'Weâre going to take it one game at a time and make our statement Sept. 4.'

The Tigers will start the season with the school's lowest ranking - No. 21 - since being unranked to start the 2000 season.

It's another in a litany of indications that LSU is no longer perceived as an elite team.

No one seems to be complaining.

"I take every ranking as a blessing, because we don't have to be ranked," LSU wide receiver Russell Shepard said. "A lot of teams would kill to be there. At the same time, our expectation levels here are very high.

"You can't get caught up in them. We're going to take it one game at a time and make our statement Sept. 4."

LSU's lowest preseason ranking in the past decade was No. 14 in 2001 and 2002. The Tigers have been no lower than No. 11 every season since then.

"We can't do too much about being ranked No. 21," cornerback Patrick Peterson said. "I don't have a problem with it. I'm like Coach (Les) Miles. I don't pay attention to the rankings as long as we're winning that one game every Saturday."

Said running back Richard Murphy: "We're going to climb back up and show them what kind of team we have. It puts a chip on our shoulders and gives us another reason to work hard."

Reigning BCS champion Alabama was ranked No. 1 and received 54 of 60 first-place votes. No. 2 Ohio State received three first-place votes, and Boise State (3), Texas (5) and Oklahoma (7) one each.

It's the first time since 1978 -- when Bear Bryant was the Tide's coach -- that Alabama has started the season No. 1 in the AP poll. The Tide won the national championship that season.

"What was accomplished by last year's team has nothing to do with this year's team. The players have to understand that, " Alabama Coach Nick Saban told the Associated Press. "This team has to develop an image, an identity of its own by its performance. What was accomplished last year is just a standard for somebody else to top. Complacency is why the mighty fall."

Six ranked teams appear on the Tigers' schedule -- North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Auburn, Arkansas and No. 25 West Virginia.

BATTLING BROOKS: LSU appears to have its best depth in the secondary. On Thursday, when starter Morris Claiborne was out sick, junior Ron Brooks intercepted a pass and broke up two throws.

Brooks is also the leading candidate to play nickel cornerback.

"I've been learning the nickel position since my freshman year," Brooks said. "I just never really got the opportunity to step in and fill in the role. This year, I'm the first dime. We're going to disrupt a lot of quarterbacks.

"In the scrimmage, I had a few technique things, but other than that, a pretty good scrimmage. My tackling, I need a little bit of work on."

DEPTH CHARGE: With Zach Lee out of the picture, LSU is short-handed at quarterback. Even though Shepard has been classified as a wide receiver first, he is in a position to provide some relief, and said he feels confident he can do it.

Shepard undoubtedly will take snaps as a quarterback in the Wildcat formation but said he could go beyond that if needed.

"I'm in the film room all the time, " he said. "I still have to know all the reads, all the cadences. We're kind of thin at that position. That's something I can definitely still do and contribute to the team. But we have a lot of good quarterbacks."

SPECIAL PRACTICE: In another one of Miles' tweaks to fall practice, the Tigers will hold a special teams only practice Sunday. School starts for all students on Monday, and the team will practice that night before its final scrimmage of fall camp on Tuesday at 3 p.m. The Tigers will have Tuesday off, after which all practices are closed to the media.